Autauga in the Middle

To the right is an excerpt from an official federal map showing the southernmost counties of Appalachia. My mother grew up in Elmore County (Appalachia), at least the fourth generation of her family to do so. But she moved to Autauga County (De-Categorized Zone) when she started teaching.

To the left is a map showing the Alabama Black Belt. The phrase refers to the color of the very fertile soil. My home town is marked with a green asterisk on each map. My father lived in Autaugaville, at least the third generation of his family to do so. You can see by comparing the two maps that Autauga County is the only thing keeping Appalachia and the Black Belt apart.